US Marine Corps takes delivery of radarless F-35s

The US military has confirmed that the US Marine Corps has accepted at least six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters without installed radars, highlighting the latest challenge facing the aircraft's long-delayed Block 4 modernization program, TWZ reports.

The issue stems from delays in the development of the new AN/APG-85 radar, with the first production units now expected to be delivered in 2028. The prospect of radarless F-35s first emerged publicly in February.

Marine Corps Lieutenant General Gregory Masiello, head of the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), disclosed the development during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee while discussing the aircraft's readiness with Senator Mark Kelly.

"We have accepted six aircraft for the Marine Corps that do not have a radar installed. That is correct," Masiello confirmed when questioned by Kelly, who also asked whether the situation resulted from a shortage of available AN/APG-85 radars. Masiello confirmed that it did.

The hearing followed a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report showing that the average Full Mission Capable (FMC) rate across all F-35 variants fell from 38% to 25% between fiscal years 2020 and 2025. Although the JPO disputes the GAO's methodology, Kelly noted that even the program's own estimate places readiness at roughly 50%.

"So, I assume that those airplanes can't count as fully mission capable with no radar?" Kelly asked.

"I don't think I would count them as fully mission capable," Masiello replied.

The Marine Corps said the decision to accept the aircraft reflects a deliberate strategy to continue producing Block 4-compatible F-35s rather than building older Block 3 aircraft that would later require extensive retrofits.

According to the JPO, the program is working to accelerate AN/APG-85 production, while the Marine Corps maintains that the Block 4 modernization effort remains essential to ensuring the F-35 can "continue to project air superiority against future threats."

By Vafa Guliyeva